


something evil is taking a hold

by thestarlight



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: 1990’s baby!, Bad Boys!, Bad at plots, Criminals (?), Donghyuck is pretty cool, Kissing, M/M, OOpS!, On the Run, Strangers to Lovers, Very very brief suicidal ideation, also, kinda long, mark is badass, markhyuck :), runaways - Freeform, underage for drinking and getting high, word vomit for like the first 2k words
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-10-21 13:08:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20694047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thestarlight/pseuds/thestarlight
Summary: Donghyuck looked out the window of the car. A red ford thunderbird, he doesn’t know how Mark was able to steal such a nice car like this. Especially when he’s a 20 year old college dropout with only knowledge in math and science. Maybe that’s how Mark knew things and the way the world worked, because he’s studied it all his life leading up to college he just became understanding of the true world.ortwo teens find out life sucks the hard way





	something evil is taking a hold

**Author's Note:**

> Sort that the summary sucks so bad
> 
> TW for violence, mentions of underage drinking and smoking. there is one part in the cut where it speaks of suicidal ideation, but that’s the only part it’s really mentioned!!
> 
> Also, these characters don’t belong to me. In no way does this reflect on them in real life. 
> 
> This sucks and I suck at dialogue. Not beta read, sorry for errors
> 
> Uhhh I also think I mention things that don’t even appear again in this sorry bout that

Donghyuck looked out the window of the car. A red ford thunderbird, he doesn’t know how Mark was able to steal such a nice car like this. Especially when he’s a 20 year old college dropout with only knowledge in math and science. Maybe that’s how Mark knew things and the way the world worked, because he’s studied it all his life leading up to college he just became understanding of the true world. 

He and Mark met on a country road back in a small town in Arkansas, Mark being 19 and only freshly out of college. His view on the world was so much more broad than Donghyuck, and honestly his mind took a while to process the words that’d come out of the boys mouth. Mark was only a year older than him at the time, they were the same height, and Mark claims he accidentally pulled over avoiding an animal, but Donghyuck somehow has a feeling Mark was lonely when he met the freshly 18 year old run away. 

Now that it’s almost a year later, they’re on the missing persons list of their home states, Illinois and Maryland. Donghyuck says he ran away to escape from life, Mark said it’s classified.

Mark is sneaky, he knows how to get into places and get out without being caught. Perhaps it was from training when he lived back at home in Chicago. He was good at getting money and shoplifting while Donghyuck would be waiting at the gas pump with a filled car and ready to drive off after Mark would jump into the car. They’ve never been caught, only warned by an elderly lady who saw Mark try to sneak a bag of chips into his pocket. After that, they stayed low for awhile and decided that they needed to change their appearance a little. 

They decided on cheap box dye that came out quite well, Donghyuck’s silver and Mark’s a nice red color. They decided makeup can change up their appearance a little more. 

_ (Apparently Mark knows a guy who can get them into Canada) _ , but with their frequent stops and wandering through different cities testing their luck it was taking significantly longer than planned. Especially having to find sneaky backroads and ways to get through without being carded. Of course Mark has a fake drivers license, but that can only do so much. If they get pulled over it’s over for them. 

So running away had its downfalls, but Donghyuck knows he wouldn’t have it any other way. This is the life he wants to live, here on the run with someone he’s grown to adore and cherish so much. Mark has always commented on how bold and brave Donghyuck has gotten since they’ve met. He says,  _ you used to be so timid and shy, but now you’re like… badass dude it’s crazy. _

Wise words from a 20 year old genius who thinks the earth is flat, with his intense research and studying. Donghyuck wonders if they can ever get a peaceful life. Mark says he can get them a place in Canada, but it’s only so long they can stay there before someone perhaps recognizes them. They don’t have phones, because the phones are expensive and too big to carry around. It’s the 1990’s, anything is expensive— especially with so little money they had. Everything is hard to get, sometimes Mark jokes about buying cigarettes because he’s of age— but that requires being carded and Mark looks like a child so it’d be hard to get anything without being caught. Donghyuck insists it's easier to sneak those small liquor bottles and they don’t have to worry about being caught because the gas stations have the liquor in the back. 

The idea was dumb, but it worked and they got away with it easily. They spent some nights in the middle of nowhere getting drunk off cheap alcohol and getting high off weed they bought off some guy who was selling. They didn’t do it often, but when they did it was spent just gazing at the stars. Mark held onto those moments, he always reminded Donghyuck of them because lord forgive him for his terrible memory. It’s not like it was a huge deal to forget things, but sometimes Donghyuck wished he could sit and take in everything and be able to recall things that he and Mark have done. It would be meaningful to Mark, definitely. That’s why he stole a small diary and a few pens to write down everything that was happening so one day when they stand to scream in the middle of the field he could just stop everything and tell Mark everything he wants to tell him. 

Lord knows if they have a future together, so he wants to do it before it’s shattered.  _ Hey Mark, I love you. Remember when you almost ran me over in the pouring rain, and screamed at me for an hour because I had stormed off an hour earlier because we had a disagreement? Then you cried for ten minutes and told me to never leave again? I remember that. You felt so bad, but what was left unsaid was that I ran away to test if I actually mattered?  _ Mark wasn’t an idiot, not in anyway or form, but he was really dense when it came to feelings and sometimes it irked Donghyuck that he couldn’t just tell Mark everything he wanted to say without being questioned for it. He really wished Mark would just tell him that he loved him, that he was really important to him, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with him. 

* * *

_ Fuck. _

_ Donghyuck feels his skin burn, the rain doing nothing to help the feeling of regret. He and Mark fight often, it’s not uncommon they disagree on small things, but Mark’s stupid idea of just ending everything they’ve done and just dying in the hands of the ocean was one of the stupidest ideas he’s had.  _

_ ‘What if we just drove into the ocean,’ Mark mumbles, ‘Died right there. All of our problems would be gone.’ _

_ Donghyuck flopped, screamed at him for his careless thoughts. Almost spilling his guts about how much he loved him and the lengths he’d go to make sure Mark would be safe. Never in a million years he’d think Mark would be the one saying they should give up.  _

_ That’s when Donghyuck ran through the pouring rain on the coastline of some stupid city in California in the middle of the night. He remembers seeing the ford thunderbird rush into view and almost slammed into him, but stopping mere inches before him. _

_ “You fucking idiot!” Mark cries, “Don’t ever leave again— You… You scared the shit out of me. What if some lunatic grabbed you off the streets huh? You’d be gone— Straight out of my life and I’d never fucking see you again because you’d end up dead in some weirdos basement. And I’d never… fucking be able to handle it because it’s not like I can file a missing persons report on you. I’m a wanted fucking criminal back in Chicago. You’re just a lost orphan boy, you know? People want to find you safe. They want to find me dead.” _

_ “Don’t say that,” Donghyuck replies, “They don’t want you dead. They wanna know why you do what you do. You’re a kid, they can’t hurt you for being raised by just your brother who was in a gang. You lived off of stealing. It’s all you knew, Mark. They’d want to help you.” _

_ “You don’t know me, Donghyuck, they know. I’ve seen it. I’m missing persons because I ran from the damn police, I’m twenty, I’m not a kid anymore I have no excuse.” _

_ “Then don’t go back, Mark, don’t give up what you’ve tried so hard to avoid,” Donghyuck snaps, “Killing yourself will get you nowhere.”  _

_ The two of them are silent. Just the rain hitting their faces, making it look like they weren’t crying. In truth, both their hearts were breaking.  _

_ “Okay,” Mark gives in, “I won’t. You asshole.” He smiles a bit at the end of his sentence.  _

_ “You’re the asshole,” Donghyuck smiles back. _

* * *

But alas, it’s hard when someone can’t pick up on things such as that. 

Each passing day felt like years, and maybe it was because he lost the sense of time long ago. Mark promises that they’ll go to Canada soon, he just needs a little more money and then they’re set. But Donghyuck is dying for a sense of relief. One that he doesn’t think he’ll ever get. He remembers when Mark would talk about his brother Johnny, but then would talk about his brother running away and not telling Mark anything but he was going to South Korea because he met someone, he loved him, and that they were both Korean so they decided to build a life out there. Mark was hurt he wasn’t taken with, but understood. He hopes to see him again sometime. 

_Busan, South Korea._

Mark mentioned it in passing it’s where Johnny went, but it was never fully explained or elaborated on how he knew. Maybe he saw the ticket, maybe Johnny told him. Donghyuck knew that it hurt to see his brother go. He knew how he felt, because when he was fifteen his parents abandoned him. 

All Donghyuck has tried these years is to love the world like he should. For those years alone, he tried so hard to be good and be the person he believed his parents would want him to be. After all, they always seemed to want the best for him and tried so hard to be present in his life and give him the world. But he must’ve went wrong somewhere along that line, that’s why they left him. 

_ What a sick feeling. _

When he looks back forwards, he only sees the empty road ahead and Marks hand on his with a small smile on his face as he so smoothly speeds past dead farmland and small batches of beautiful wild flowers. Mark decides to pull over to the side after slowing down a bit. Donghyuck knows what this means and grins widely at his companion, before grabbing his backpack and getting out of the car.

He runs. 

Full speed, wind cooling his body, wrapping around his frame. Mark joins him moments later with a little basket in hand and a sweet smile on his face. Donghyuck wouldn’t want it any other way, nothing could shake the feeling he felt around the older— drawn to him like a magnet to a fridge. He pulls the cassette player from his bag and placed a cassette into the holder and pressed down on the play button. 

The sound of Led Zeppelin’s ‘ _ All My Love’  _ filled his ears. And Mark bopped his head and mimicked as if he was playing a guitar and singing to a crowd. Donghyuck smiled gently. As they get further into the song, Mark lays down on the grass and lip syncs the lyrics to Donghyuck directly. It’s quiet besides the music, and the younger thinks he’s gone insane to think Mark actually sang the lyrics to him. But he realizes they’re alone, just the two poor boys on a run. Two thieves, two runaways, two masters of deception and betraying.

This wasn’t something that they were extremely proud of, in Marks words, but it was how they got by.  _ It’s not like we killed nobody, right Hyuckie?  _ Donghyuck stayed silent, because thinking back to it maybe there was a darker meaning to that. Just because they didn’t kill someone doesn’t mean the damage they’ve caused was any better. Sometimes he could hear Mark’s body jolt awake, sometimes he’d have nightmares of his own. But there wasn’t anything they could do to help them, they’re practically wanted by everyone. No one knows of their crimes, no one knows they’ve pulled the trigger.

_ It’s not like we killed nobody, right Hyuckie? _

Haunting words from Mark Lee, 20, college dropout and total embodiment of what goes wrong when you don’t get a good life. Donghyuck had no excuse up until he was 15, his life was pretty good. Mark on the other hand recalls house fires, yelling, slamming doors, and crying his eyes out in his older brothers arms. Oh he wishes he could just do something that could save Mark from what he’d later become. 

So standing above a five foot eight guy, with a sloppy smile, who’s singing along to Led Zeppelin and maybe,  _ just maybe,  _ confessed he loved the boy he’s built a life with wasn’t the exact situation he thought he’d be in. Because one, Donghyuck didn’t think the older was capable of loving someone, and two there’s no way that two gay guys in the late 1990’s just happened to meet and decide that life fucking sucks and they needed to escape to Canada, rob a few places with no cameras, cross the border illegally, then live out their lives and eventually hop on the closest plane to South Korea. 

It was implausible. 

The music fades into  _ ‘Fool in the Rain’ _ . Donghyuck is silent and Mark just looks into the clouded sky, then screams. It’s loud and ear piercing, but Donghyuck feels waves of emotions wash over him. His vision feels clouded and distant, but he is still looking at Mark with love.  _ What the hell are you, Mark Lee?  _ Is what he thinks. 

“You think too damn much, Donghyuck,” Mark breaks the silence, “You know that? It’s gonna get you killed one day, watch. Boy, you’ll be on the news,  _ ‘BREAKING! RUNAWAY KOREAN BOY KILLED AFTER THINKING SO DAMN HARD!’ _ Funny way to die, right?” The sentence is finished with a loud laugh.

Donghyuck frowns, and Mark slaps his arm.

“Kidding Hyuckie, you thought too much into it,” Mark quickly says, “You know I mean it, right?”

Before Donghyuck can do anything, there’s a shrill ringing in their ears and they both snap their heads to the opposite way of the field where a police officer seems to have stopped. Mark’s eyes widen and he grabs his bag, then the younger’s hand and takes off into a sprint to their car. As soon as they make it they waste no time speeding off immediately and ignoring the blaring noises that are now coming into hearing. Donghyuck is tensed in the backseat where Mark has shoved him into. He wants to cry, but holds back so he doesn’t distract Mark. 

“We’ll be okay, Hyuckie,” Mark says, “Right? We always are. They have nothing on us.” He tries to lighten the mood, his eyes meeting the others in the rear view mirror. Donghyuck nods.

“Please say something, Donghyuck. I need to hear your voice.” Mark says, “Just this once, you know?”

_ Right,  _ ever since their disagreement from a few months ago Donghyuck barely speaks words to the other.  _ Something you can’t really leave out.  _ Despite them making up and forgiving each other, Donghyuck felt like he’s lost his ability to speak normally to the other ever again. 

Mark shakes his head and focused on the road once more.  _ Just say something, this could be the last. _

“Right,” Donghyuck says, it’s cracked but it makes Mark smile. 

“Thank you for everything,” Mark says, “If this is our last, then I want you to know that I love you.” His words are strong, there’s no hint of fear or regret in them. Donghyuck’s eyes soften and he smiles back. 

For just that moment he forgets they’re being run down by the police, he doesn’t turn around to check, he quickly climbs into the front seat and allows Mark to grab his hand.

“I love you too, Mark,” Donghyuck whispers, “Always have. Thinking back, there’s not a moment I can remember that I didn’t. I think I knew I loved you the moment I met you.” 

“Thank god, because it would’ve been awkward if you hadn’t felt the same.” Mark laughs, it’s a sweet laugh. Kinda like the one he heard often when they were high, drunk, or just happy. But right now, being chased by the police is the last place he’d expect to hear that laugh.

“Say, hold on okay?” 

With a nod, Mark suddenly steps on it and swerves a few meters away into a corn field that hadn’t been abandoned and disappears from sight, then taking another few turns and loops and just takes a hard right and flies from the field back onto the road a few minutes later. When Donghyuck turns around he doesn’t see the cop car anywhere to be found and Mark lets out a holler.

“We did it,” Mark says, “You knew we would, right?” 

“Hell, if I’m honest— no,” Donghyuck replies, “But, I mean, I should’ve thought higher of you, baby.”

The nickname was an accident, but Donghyuck feels his confidence spike when Mark’s face reddens.

“Hey!” Mark whines, still focused on the road, “That’s so unfair I wanna be the one to call you baby.” He pouts and furrows his brows. 

“That’s why I called you baby, you whine too much,” Donghyuck rolls his eyes and slumps in the seat, his voice is still raw from disuse, “But we can both call each other baby, you know? It’s not just a singular use—“

“Fuck!” Mark screams and cuts him off, “Fuck Donghyuck, shit I’m so sorry!”

“Mark, what’s wrong? What-“ He looks forwards and his eyes widen when he sees at least four cop cars parked in front of them. The rain that was built up in the clouds finally releases and send them into a downpour, “Mark… what do we do?”

“Fuck—“ Mark slams on the breaks and shakes his head, “This is impossible— there’s no way that they could’ve found us! We lost them in the cornfield!” Mark shouts, “Donghyuck I’m—“

“Mark… look…” Donghyuck points to the sign they’ve just so happened to stop in front of.  _ Canada: 3.4 miles ahead. _

His eyes widen and he looks at Donghyuck with a regretful look.

“I need you to run as soon as you get out of the car into the cornfield, don’t stop running until you know that you’ve gone far enough from them that you can continue onto the way to Canada. When you reach the border—“ he stops and opens the glove compartment and grabs a package—“give them this and say Mark Lee sent you. They’ll take you to a room and the guy will get you into Canada. Trust me.”

The police get closer and Donghyuck finds himself feeling weak from the anxiety that has pooled into his stomach. 

“Please, Donghyuck…” Mark mumbles, “Just do it…” 

Donghyuck nods, and Mark grabs the sides of the younger’s face and pulls him into a deep kiss before pulling away and shoving himself out of the car. The police run forwards and Donghyuck takes this chance to sprint away and into the cornfield with nothing but the bag he never took off his back. He never stopped running, despite the wetness of the corn dropping onto him and occasionally slipping and wiping himself out, he ran. 

Faster than Mark would’ve, he tries to ignore the yelling, and when he stops for just a moment to catch his breath, a shrill and heart stopping gunshot is heard in the distance and Donghyuck prays to god that it wasn’t Mark. 

What feels like hours, which it probably was he feels safe and decides it's time to get out of the field. Luckily his sense of direction is good and he walks the distance it takes to the exit and collapses on the road in exhaustion when he reaches it. He’s grateful that the road is vacant and there’s no one but himself. In the far distance he sees patrol cars and something just tells him those are the guys he’s looking for. 

He reaches them within minutes and stop him, he pulls the bag out and they look at each other and allow him into the back, where they drive for about twenty minutes before they reach a shed like place. Then there’s someone who escorts him to the building and his eyes are down the entire time. Tired from crying and running away, he lets whatever happens, just go.

“You’re friends with Mark Lee?” 

Donghyuck nods, the man smiled, “You meet him on the run too?” 

“Yeah, he picked me up,” The man nods.

“He’s a good kid,” The man says, “He’s the younger brother of my good friend.”

“Who are you?” 

“The names Nakamoto Yuta,” He says, “Your friend Mark… He always wanted to leave. I figured he’d meet someone at some point. He held this off for so long.”

“He told me to run,” Donghyuck whispered, “Now I don’t know if he’s even alive.” 

Yuta raises an eyebrow, “You think a kid like Mark is gonna give up that easy?” 

“We were outnumbered.” Donghyuck says, “There’s no way.”

“There’s always a way, kid,” Yuta said, “Mark knew what he was doing. Put faith into him.”

“But…” 

“No buts, kiddo,” The taller man cuts off, “Trust Mark.”

“Okay… I do trust him.” Donghyuck decides, “He’s… got this… he’ll come back.”

“There you go,” Yuta smiles, “Good, now let's get you into Canada, alright? Someone will come and pick you up.”

The wait is far too long, but it’s understandable nonetheless. Donghyuck still wonders how he was able to escape the police like that. He was sure they saw him in the car, but maybe they didn’t see him sprint away. He  _ was  _ a track star before his life exploded in front of his eyes. When the car does arrive, he steps in and is greeted with a small looking man by the name of Qian Kun, he had a warm smile and is dressed in a sweater vest and black jeans. He looks like he’d be a teacher of some sort. 

“What’s your name?” 

“Donghyuck,” He says softly, Kun nods and presses his tongue to his cheek.

“Mark wasn’t with you?” He asks, when Donghyuck shakes his head no, Kun hums, “That’s rascal is always scaring us like this. Ever since he was a kid, I tell you. Back then life was easier. Johnny would take him on little trips, Mark always pretended to disappear then just come back. He said he was preparing us for the worst. I remember before he left he told me,  _ ‘kun, a couple months after I turn twenty, I'll be off to Canada. it will be a Friday, I’m not sure which one.’ _ ”

“So you’ve been here every Friday since he turned twenty?” Donghyuck questions, and Kun shrugs.

“We started coming two months ago, we didn’t know if he was dead or alive. Back when he told us we lived right near the Border.” 

“Do you still?” 

“Nah, police we’re onto us for getting people who were wanted by police into Canada, then we decided to move and just take our car out to this place,” Kun replies, “Just know that no matter how long Mark is gone, he’ll always come back.”

“So… You think Mark is still alive?” Donghyuck whispers softly, it would’ve been missed if it hadn’t been the silence of the car. 

Kun nods, “I know he will.” 

The older man reaches over and squeezes the younger’s hand with a grin and puts his eyes back onto the road. 

The drive isn’t that long, because before no time they’re in a city and Donghyuck is parked in front of a tall building. Kun turns to him and digs something out of his pocket. 

“The kegs to your home,” Kun says, “Now get along, you deserve a proper rest.”

Donghyuck nods and thanks Kun about a billion times before exiting, and going into the building. He waves at the receptionist and is soon on the upper level floor and standing in front of a wooden door. Arguably it wasn’t the best looking place from the outside, but when he stepped in he felt warm. The place was like a studio apartment, open except the only door visible was presumably for the bathroom. The living area, kitchen, and bedroom were all in the same room, the bed being tucked behind a wall. 

He admired the apartment for a few moments longer before taking strides to the bed and collapsing on it. The motel beds did him no justice to the comfort he felt on this one, the blankets engulfed him in warmth and welcoming. Mark would love this place, he probably picked it out. 

The silence is enough to put him to sleep, his eyes falling due to his exhaustion from everything that happened that day. Slowly, he allows the peacefulness to take over. 

When he awakens, he’s met with silence once more. He doesn’t know what he expected— Mark to be back? It’s a little bit of a pathetic wish. Everyone told him to give it time and Mark will be back. The gunshot sound rings back through his mind.

_ It’s not like we killed nobody, right Hyuckie? _

“It’s not like we killed nobody, right Mark?” Donghyuck says into the quiet.

-

By the time Donghyuck has gotten situated and a job under the English name he was given at birthd to go by, it’s been months. Mark has shown no sign of coming back, there’s been no note no phone call. Donghyuck feels like giving up, but everyone keeps reminding him that he’ll be back. 

He misses the taste of his lips and feels like he’s lost a piece of him that he took so long to put together. The cold nights without Mark by his side and the fear he feels when he awakens from his nightmare alone is enough to make him want to disappear. Donghyuck just wants Mark to return, back into his arms and never let him go. 

Donghyuck has gotten used to his life in Canada, no one’s questioned him or stopped him in passing. It’s easy.

“Peter,” An older man's voice calls out to him, “Would you mind closing shop for me? I need to get home to my dogs to feed them.”

_ Mr. Ace  _

“Yes, Sir,” Donghyuck nods, “I’ll return the key to you tomorrow morning.” 

“Thank you, son,” Mr. Ace smiles, he pats the young boys head and disappears into the back. Donghyuck turns back and starts to fix things on the shelf and reorganize the magazines. The door chimes behind him and Donghyuck looks behind him.

“Ah, Yuta,” Donghyuck smiles at him, “What brings you here?”

“It’s Mark,” Yuta says, “He…”

“Please don’t say what I think you are going to say,” Donghyuck feels like his chest is going to explode and Yuta looks at him sadly.

“We don’t know…” Yuta mumbles, “All that we could find in our search was this bag.”

“His… bag?” Donghyuck walks forwards and looks at the small red and grey bag in the elder's hand. 

“We searched for him,” Yuta replies, “But even the car was gone.” 

“It’s been months… of course,” Donghyuck whispers, “They took him.”

“Or… they killed him,” Yuta replies, “Though we don’t want it to be the latter we have to take it into consideration that Mark could’ve been killed by those men.”

“What happened to you being so sure that he’d be alive?” Donghyuck accuses and points his finger at Yuta, who takes a step back, “You’re the one who keeps telling me he’ll come back. He always does. What changed?”

“It’s never been this long…” Yuta tries, “Mark has never disappeared for more than a month, we don’t know anymore.” 

“Well… maybe it would’ve been better for you to not have come, my thoughts were calmer with you guys saying he’ll be back,” Donghyuck shakes his head. 

Yuta sighs and sets the bag by the door, “If you want to, you can look into the bag and find anything Mark wanted to say.”

Yuta leaves moments later and the younger boy is so distracted the rest of the night, wondering is Mark is actually alive or not. The occasional customer notices his tense mood and asks if he’s alright, but besides that they gave him an odd look. At closing time he locked up quick and did the manager stuff in no time, when he was done the bag was taken into his hands and he rushed back to his home. He dropped his rent payment at the mail and then headed up to his room. 

“Hey stranger,” A voice says, it’s his neighbor—Jaemin, “You seem to be in a rush, what’s up?”

“Oh, hey Jay,” Donghyuck hums, “Just super tired. You know Mr. Ace, always keeping us back.”

“Hm, well you just seemed distraught. If you need anything, I’m here,” Jaemin replies softly, “Also, someone came by earlier but you weren’t here.”

Donghyuck tensed, “What did he look like?”

“Uhh, he had a weird faded colored hair, roots grown out quite a lot, and fairly skinny. Maybe your height, maybe a few centimeters taller if anything,” Jaemin responds, “He told me this is the number to call whenever you get in.”

Jaemin handed him a small note, it seemed to be sloppily written and ripped at the edges.

_ Mark.  _

Donghyuck thanked him then rushed into his place, closing the door behind him and holding the paper to his chest tightly. He felt as if someone took his lungs and squeezed them. 

“Mark, please let this be you,” Donghyuck whimpered, “Please don’t be gone, please come back to me.”

Unfortunately, Donghyuck didn’t have a phone to contact the number with so he’d have to wait and go to a phone booth in the morning. He still went through the bag and pulled out a few items that were shoved into it, like a sweatshirt, brush, wallet, and a few stones. Donghyuck pulled the larger hoodie over his frame and let his body be engulfed in Mark’s scent. By no means was this Mark’s size of hoodie, he just liked the comfort of large hoodies whenever he could get them. The warmth filled his lungs, never in a million years did he think he’d have something to remind him of Mark. Something that Mark has worn and allowed Donghyuck to wear sometimes too. 

He doesn’t go to be afraid that night, instead peace washes over him and he feels at home once more. 

-

The sunlight almost blinds Donghyuck as he wakes up, a sense of relief from a peaceful night's sleep for the first time in a long time. 

_ The number.  _

Donghyuck grabs the paper from his nightstand and sprints from the room, only bothering to put his slides on and quickly rushing the lobby and looking for the closer phone that he could borrow. 

There luckily is one open, so he goes to it quickly and places a quarter in the slot and dials the number.

_ “Pick up,”  _ Donghyuck whispers after a few rings,  _ “Please.” _

“Hello?”  _ Mark _ . 

“ _ Mark…”  _ Donghyuck whispers, “Hey baby, it’s me… it’s your Hyuckie…”

“Is this a prank?” Mark replies, “Is this really him?”

_ “Yes, yes,”  _ Donghyuck feels the tears stream down his cheeks, “Remember when I ran away from you? It was pouring down rain and you literally grabbed me from the side of the street and yelled at me for ten minutes about how I would get sick… and instead of continuing to yell you brought me into a stupid motel and gave me their crap coffee and told me to never do it again. You told me you’d be lost without me— even if we already were lost in the middle of Colorado.”

“Oh fuck,” Mark curses, “Hi sweetheart, what are you up to?”

“You idiot that’s all you have to say?” Donghyuck snaps, “You wanna try that again?”

“Sorry, sorry I’m nervous. I haven’t seen you in a bit,” Mark says sweetly, “I can’t wait to see you again, love.”

“You’re so cheesy,” Donghyuck gags, “Never do that again.” 

“Where are you calling me from?”

“A payphone at my apartment,” Donghyuck replies, “Where are you?”

“Some guys place, he saw me all beat up and was like, hey! Need a place to stay?” Mark says, “He’s Korean like us.”

“How long have you stayed with him?”

“Only a week or so,” Mark sighed, “I have a lot to tell you.”

“And kisses,” Donghyuck mumbles, “Hugs? Hellos? You didn’t even say goodbye…”

“I’ll be there soon, I promise,” Mark says, “It’s been too long. My roots are grown out.”

“I miss you,” Donghyuck blurts, “Get off the fucking phone and into my arms before I cry again.”

“I’m coming, Hyuckie.”

Donghyuck felt like waiting for Mark took years, despite it only being about thirty minutes. He was lying on his bed, wrapped in the older’s hoodie and staring at the ceiling awaiting for Marks arrival. He didn’t know how he’d react when it’s been months since he last saw him, how different he’d look and how terrifying it would be if this was just a dream.

There’s a knock on the door, and then Donghyuck is on his feet and he swings the door open in seconds. There’s no time to process anything, because he’s on the ground and engulfed in a large bear hug and Mark is crying on his shoulder.

“Fuck!” Mark says wetly into his shoulder, “I said I wouldn’t fucking cry, but you got me weak in the knees you fucker…”

“I’m on the ground, asshole, get off me,” Donghyuck mumbles, “Just kiss me already.”

“They were so fucking terrible, Hyuckie, they fucking grabbed me you know? I almost got shot in the head, but luckily they just hit my thigh.” Mark hums, “I got arrested, but kinda maybe accidentally made them swerve into a tree. They crossed the border, those idiots. They probably didn’t notice. My ass limped a mile before a cool guy named Taeil plucked me from the side of the road and brought me back to his place. I still got a limp but I’m breathing…”

“Mark, you—“ Donghyuck closes his eyes, “You fucking idiot. I was so worried. How did you find the apartment?”

“Who do you think got it?” 

“You…” Donghyuck whispers, “Hey, wait. You asshole! When did you get it?”

“Way before we arrived by Canada,” Mark laughs, “Why?”

“You knowingly got a one bedroom apartment before we even confessed to each other?” Donghyuck questions, “Why did you—“

“Well, before our asses got rocked in Idaho I was going to confess to you at the border of Canada, but you know that got foiled and well,” Mark replies, “It’s not like you’ve killed nobody, right Hyuckie?”

“You killed someone!?”

“He was gonna kill me first anyways,” Mark shrugs, “I don’t think he’s dead, just crashed a car. Probably in the hospital by now.”

“Oh my god,” Donghyuck finally lifts them up and scoots towards a nearby wall ( _ shutting the door too)  _ keeping Mark in his arms, “Let's… forget that. I mean we’re going to have a serious talk later, but right now I miss your lips.”

Mark smirks, “Well, I can't argue with that.” 

Their lips meet seconds later and to them both, sinning never felt so good.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank u for reading. Comments are motivating to me so if u could drop a comment, whether criticism or anything it’d be great!!! Kudos too!!
> 
> Thank you 🥺🥺🥺


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